This disclosure relates to air freshening devices and to containers for decorative materials, such as freshly cut flowers, artificial flowers, or other décor.
Air fresheners come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some are designed to occupy an electrical outlet while holding a fragrance reservoir, with some aid to fragrance dispersal, such as a fan and/or heat, and include a decorative design. Air fresheners such as these have obvious constraints, the primary being that these devices must be used with an electrical outlet, so their level of portability is low. Further, there is no provision for using fresh cut or artificial flowers with this type of air freshener.
Some air fresheners are horizontal units, which are designed to be placed on generally vertical surfaces. These air fresheners may be crafted to accent their surroundings, by resembling pleasing shapes such as sculptures, organic shapes, or geometric shapes.
Other air fresheners are of the wick-type, in that they feature a reservoir for storing a fragrant liquid, into which a wick of some type is inserted. The wick then communicates fragrance through its length, whereupon the local air currents, or assistance by a fan and/or heater distribute the fragrance about an area local to the air freshener. These air fresheners also have some limitations. They do not include a means for displaying flowers, or a fan and/or heater, and the wick method is not very efficient at dispensing fragrance.
Still other air fresheners rely on the vaporization of a fragrance in a reservoir, either a liquid, semi-solid gel, solid, powder, or gas. Some of these air fresheners use a molded fragrance module and rely on exposure to air to cause the volatile fragrance to evaporate into the local environment. Others use an aerosol can connected to a dispensing motor and timer to deliver periodic sprays of fragrance. Still others use a film or membrane impregnated with fragrance, which is transpired to the air. In any of the previous types, there is no provision to display flowers as a part of the air freshener.